You have truly caused me great suffering!

Chapter 145 Killing the Emperor, Becoming a King, and Joining the Army
Gao Qiu wanted to establish a new army in the capital.

Actually, it was not much different from Chen Shao recruiting new soldiers at the Lingwu camp.

Both their intentions and their positions are similar.

One was to protect Bianjing, the heartland of the Song Dynasty, and the other was to guard the heartland of the Dingnan Army, the various prefectures of Lingwu.

Chen Shao recruited enough soldiers in a very short time, selecting the best of the best, and then trained them to become combat-ready.

Gao Qiu, on the other hand, was struggling to move forward, and was so worried that he couldn't sleep at night.

At this moment, the candles in the study were covered with wax dripping, and it was unknown how many candles had been burned that night.

Gao Qiu and his men were still plotting and scheming.

Because it involved the power to protect him, Zhao Ji, for the first time ever, took out a considerable amount of money from his own private treasury for Gao Qiu to use.

Over the years, Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) has been very careful with his money. He usually asks Cai Jing for money to spend and rarely spends his own.

Emperor Huizong's personal treasury had a special name: Xuanhe Treasury.

This was an important part of the Imperial Treasury (the royal private treasury) he established during the Xuanhe era, and even the most important center for accumulating private wealth in the later years of the emperor's reign.

Because Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) valued money highly, his private treasury far exceeded the scale of the traditional imperial treasury, essentially becoming a private treasury independent of the national financial system and directly controlled by the emperor.

Emperor Huizong's father and brothers also had this habit, but they saved money for the future campaign to conquer Liao and restore Yan, to fund their military expenses.

Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) was simply saving money for pleasure. Unlike the strict rules set by his father and brothers, he could withdraw this money at will, which was basically used to pay for the huge palace expenses, build royal gardens, collect antiques and calligraphy and paintings, hold palace celebrations, and reward his favorite officials.

Emperor Huizong of Song had a quirk: he needed to reward others from time to time, much like those people in later generations who feel uncomfortable if they don't tip others while watching live streams.

He feels a unique sense of satisfaction when he spends money lavishly.

The nation's finances were nearly bankrupt, Cai Jing was in a terrible predicament, and Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) refused to contribute a single penny when Tong Guan tried to redeem Yanjing (the capital of the Southern Tang Dynasty). However, now that Gao Qiu wanted to reorganize the new army, Emperor Huizong immediately provided the funds.

Ultimately, this person may be bad, but he's not stupid.
Gao Qiu was determined to repay the kindness shown to him, and he didn't care about his old bones at all.

Wait until early June.

The new army began recruiting, drawing men from good families near the capital to enlist, resulting in two thousand men.

Then, they used military force as a form of relief, taking in 50,000 refugees from Yan. The quality of these people was uneven, far inferior to the two thousand good men from good families.

However, Gao Qiu had no choice. The Song Dynasty had valued literature over military affairs for so many years that this had become deeply ingrained, and it had almost become a consensus that a good man should not become a soldier.

There was none of the atmosphere of eagerness for people to abandon their studies and join the army that existed during the Han and Tang dynasties.

The Imperial Guard's barracks and other facilities were readily available, and they quickly began training and drills.

Everything seemed to be in good order.

Emperor Huizong of Song issued several imperial edicts to reward Gao Qiu handsomely.

After the new army was established, Zhao Ji once again rewarded the troops who were fighting against Liao.

The three armies of the Western Army were rewarded handsomely, and various official positions were given to them without restraint.

Because Lao Zhong had already reached the pinnacle of military officialdom, he was now granted the honorary title of Grand Master of the Three Departments.

Xiao Zhong learned of the prestigious title of Privy Councilor, but he was unable to actually work there; it was clearly just a hollow title. This was a common situation in the Song Dynasty—official titles sounded impressive, but in reality, the officials held no real power.

Yao Gu was given the title of Jiedushi (military governor), and Yang Keshi, who was defeated in Yan, was also given the title of Jiedushi.

Wang Bing was given the title of Jiedushi (military governor) and appointed as the commander-in-chief of Huanqing Army. All generals continued to lead their original armies, and his subordinate officers were promoted in succession.

Most of the generals from the Hebei faction and the Western Army faction received rewards, but Liu Yanqing, the scapegoat, and his Fuyan Army received no rewards this time.

In addition to the generals, the envoys of the army stationed in Yanjing were rewarded with 20 strings of cash, and the soldiers with 10 strings of cash.

Guo Yaoshi of the Changsheng Army was also rewarded. He had already been appointed as the Chengxuan Envoy of Anyuan Army, and this time he was directly appointed as the Jiedushi of Wutai Army, with the additional titles of Jianxiao Shaobao and Tongzhi of Yanshan Prefecture.

After bestowing the title and rewards, Zhao Ji summoned him to court.

Guo Yaoshi, along with his family, headed to Bianliang, which pleased Zhao Ji even more.

Both were military officials with their own troops. Zhao Ji had summoned Chen Shao several times, but Chen Shao always gave some excuse or reason.

Outside Bianliang city, the clatter of hooves echoed as dozens of sturdy horses galloped along the road outside the city.

The knights on horseback were all fully armored, but they all wore brightly colored brocade robes over their armor.

In the early summer weather of Bianliang, it appeared dazzling and magnificent.

These dozens of knights surrounded a military general.

He was very tall and slightly thin, wearing a soft armor and a brocade robe. His face was roughened by the wind and frost, and he had a few unkempt, dark, thick, and stiff stubble on his cheeks.

Riding on his horse, Guo Yaoshi moved nimbly, holding the reins firmly. His movements rose and fell naturally with the galloping of his warhorse, making him appear as a commander leading thousands of fierce warriors.

He was actually quite capable; his achievements were remarkable in the former Yanjing Prefecture of the Liao Dynasty and now Yanshan Prefecture of the Song Dynasty.

However, this person is fickle and has betrayed the Lord several times for personal gain, so his reputation is not very good.

Beside him was a nimble young military officer, around thirty years old, with a slightly sickly appearance, who followed Guo the pharmacist.

Ma Kuo looked around without saying a word, feeling somewhat ashamed.

Despite the disastrous war against Liao, rewards and honors continued to pour in, as if the war had truly been won.

He participated in the entire battle, so how could he not know the inside story? Ma Kuo would never forget the chaos in Hejian Prefecture back then.

The soldiers of the Western Army of Fuyan Army were shouting and cursing Commander Tong Xuan outside the tent, but the people inside pretended not to hear them.

The once valiant Commander Xuan, who valued his appearance above all else, was now as timid as a quail.

The redemption of Yanjing was even more unacceptable to him. How could he manage to give so much grain and money to the Jurchens when they marched south in the future?

Ma Kuo was invited back by Gao Qiu. When he heard that the new army of the capital garrison needed people to reorganize it, he did not dare to delay for a moment and rode with Guo Yaoshi to Kaifeng Prefecture.

He wanted to help the emperor train a new army to preserve some of the Song Dynasty's vitality!
"I heard that this time, Grand Commandant Gao used soldiers as relief and recruited many refugees," Guo Yaoshi sighed and said, "Just like back then, when Yelü Chun formed the Eight Camps of the Resentful Army, the situation was similar. Yelü Chun thought that the Han people of Liaodi hated the Jurchens to the bone, but he didn't know that our Eight Camps of the Resentful Army hated the Khitans no less than the Tartars."

"So the eight battalions of the resentful army kept rebelling until only my battalion, with less than 10,000 men, remained."

Ma Kuo thought to himself, what Guo Yaoshi said makes some sense. Using soldiers as relief has great hidden dangers, but it seems there is no better way.

The refugees from Yan had a deep-seated hatred for the Jurchens, but the Song Dynasty still regarded them as allies.

They also spent money to buy land from the Jurchens.

These men from Yan might not be convinced.
As they talked, they rode their horses, and in the distance, the towering city walls of Bianliang slowly appeared in the shadows.

After a period of absolute weakness, the Song Dynasty is stumbling back on track.

Unfortunately, some things, once they happen, can never be undone.

For example, the imperial court's surrender to the military.
-
In Xiping Prefecture, inside the military governor's residence, Chen Shao had another sleepless night, having several dreams.

One by one, the people he had killed appeared before him. The surrounding area was filled with the glint of swords and the roars and screams of the soldiers. He felt as if he had returned to the battlefield. Suddenly, two dark figures descended from the sky, their horseshoes stomping down. His mind went blank.

Chen Shao sat up abruptly, and after a moment of panic, he realized he was dreaming. He reached up and wiped his forehead, which was covered in sweat.

"My lord, did you have a nightmare?" A woman's gentle voice brought him back to his senses.

Looking around, all I saw was a large palm wood bed, surrounded by ornate silk curtains; this was not a battlefield.
Li Shishi was only wearing a white undergarment, and seemed to have just gotten up as well. She was looking at him with concern.

Chen Shao held Li Shishi in his arms and lay down to continue sleeping, but his mind was still racing.

He recalled that when they first stormed Xiping Prefecture, right there in the Qi Prince's mansion, many seven- or eight-year-old Dangxiang children chose to jump off the palace walls one after another, refusing to surrender.

The scene of the fall of the Western Xia Dynasty was not really that tragic.

It's more like the people who originally lived here chose Chen Shao to replace the Tangut royal family and lead them to survive and develop.

Li Shishi suddenly noticed that his eyes were still open, and asked softly, "It's still early, my lord, why don't you rest a little longer?"

"I don't know why, but I've been feeling uneasy all night," Chen Shao sighed.

After he finished speaking, he hugged Li Shishi tightly. Her soft, delicate body had a faint fragrance that calmed him down a little.

Li Shishi felt a little safer with his grip on her, and a sweet smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

The next day, shortly after dawn.

Chen Shao received news that Han Shizhong had besieged Helan Mountain and decisively defeated the last stronghold of the Xia bandits.

The army cornered Emperor Li Qianshun and his entourage in a cave on Helan Mountain.

The last members of the Western Xia royal family committed suicide in caves.

Chen Shao looked at the military report and calculated the time, which made him shudder.

It was during one of his nightmares that the Western Xia dynasty was completely destroyed.

"Send the order to Han Shizhong to continue searching the mountains. There are countless die-hard Xia traitors hiding in the Helan Mountains. If we don't eliminate them completely, they will become a menace in the future."

“Behead Li Qianshun, and then transport the body and head together to Bianliang.”

Now that the great cause of conquering Xia has been completely accomplished, let's see how Zhao Ji will reward him.

The defeat of the Helan Mountain defense line by Han Shizhong and the suicide of Emperor Li Qianshun did not cause much of a stir in the Dingnan Army territory.

In many people's eyes, the Tangut royal family in that region was already dead. The moment they retreated to the Helan Mountains, the country had little to do with them anymore.

On the grasslands, the victor reigns supreme.

Chen Shao symbolically summoned the officials for a celebratory banquet.

After returning to the inner courtyard, Chen Shao was dizzy and wanted to rest in any courtyard.

I suddenly remembered that I hadn't read today's military newspaper.

Chen Shao forced himself to stay alert, went into the study, sat down in a chair, and untied the ribbon of today's military report.

This made him sit up straight; two major things had happened:

Wanyan Aguda fell seriously ill, leaving Wanyan Zongwang to continue the pursuit of Emperor Tianzuo, while he himself was to return to Shangjing Prefecture.

The second thing is that Tong Guan was granted the title of king.
This man squandered the Song Dynasty's best opportunity. He could have openly and legitimately taken over the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, preventing the Jurchens from easily considering moving south.

But he made a huge mistake. After losing on the battlefield, he angered the people and the heavens by trying to redeem Yanjing City, and now he even wants to be made a king.

Chen Shao sneered, tossed the military report aside, and didn't bother to read it again.

Meanwhile, in Yanjing, thousands of miles away, the revelry of the past few days still lingered in the army.

The general is about to be crowned a king, and the rewards have been announced.

Even the once dilapidated neighborhoods and alleys have been cleaned up considerably in recent days, and the burned-down houses in the city have been repaired and renovated.

When the Jurchens left, they took everything they could with them.

Therefore, the grand mansions, temples, and residences all around became the soldiers' residences and military camps.

On this special day, the air in every soldier's quarters is filled with the aroma of wine and meat.

Tong Guan spent a large sum of money, personally funding the banquet for his soldiers in Yanjing.

Although the supply of provisions to the rear was not yet fully operational at this time, Yanjing City had never lacked food and grain, and had stockpiled enough for half a year's use in the past few days.

Although Tong Guan was old, he knew that if the Jurchens went south, they could come at any time without Gubeikou, so he began preparations for war early on.

He has connections and resources, and he managed to acquire a considerable amount of supplies.

This time, with the investiture of the commander-in-chief, large quantities of grain, rice, frozen meat, and pickled fish were distributed, along with wine and dried fruit. The soldiers were not as strictly controlled as during wartime, allowing everyone to eat and drink to their heart's content. It was quite a lively affair for several days.

Even outside the soldiers' quarters, a number of refugees had gathered, and they certainly weren't there to curry favor with Tong Guan.

Those refugees from Yan who still had some money would buy food from the soldiers.

Ordinary people without money or possessions would wait for the leftovers from the army camp to feed their families.

Ever since the Jurchens left, Wanyan Zonghan sent a large army, along with Liao's vassal troops, to plunder the Yan region, and the people here have yet to recover.

The refugees and common people near Yanjing City were more active, as it was early summer and all things were growing in the mountains, forests and fields.

Taking advantage of being locals and familiar with the terrain, they searched for wild vegetables and mushrooms, and caught some fresh fish and shrimp in the river, which they then delivered to the front of the military camp to trade with the Song soldiers.

The Song army had no shortage of grain, rice, frozen meat, or pickled fish, but they lacked fresh food. They either used copper coins or simply traded grain with the local people, which resulted in a win-win situation for everyone.

Tong Guan, unusually, waved his hand to dismiss the concubines and maids while he was at his residence.

After everyone had left, he held the robes and seal of the king, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The prince's attire features purple as its central symbol, and is adorned with a seven-beam crown, a gold belt, and a jade pendant!
This thing I've been waiting for has finally arrived! I'll be the Prince of Guangyang from now on! Cloudy tears streamed down my face.

Tong Guan hadn't changed his clothes by himself in a long time, and he tried for a long time but couldn't succeed.

So he could only cough lightly and call someone in to serve him.

This time, he put on the clothes one by one and then walked around the room again and again.

The surrounding concubines all clapped their hands in praise, making Tong Guan even happier.

Unfortunately, no matter how gorgeous the clothes are, they cannot stop the passage of time.

Tong Guan looked at his withered skin, which resembled a dead tree, and couldn't help but feel sad again.

If only I were younger, if only I had been crowned king sooner—
After Tong Guan was granted the title of king, he celebrated for three days in Yanjing City.

Tan Zhen personally hosted a banquet that lasted three days.

Many people in Yan were completely confused: Do you have anything to eat?

So much grain was given to the Jurchen Tartars, yet they were still so extravagant.

In fact, before Wanyan Zonghan left, he carried out large-scale massacres and plunders, which completely destroyed his popularity in Yan.

Nobody wants to surrender to this bunch of lunatics and demons.

However, after redeeming Yanjing, Tong Guan did not immediately use this to win over the hearts of the people for himself and the Song Dynasty.

Instead, they waited anxiously for the court to deal with them, passively doing nothing.

Tong Guan's extravagant spending after being enfeoffed as a king further alienated the people of Yan.

In Yanjing City, the original market area, which was originally the location of the market, was now packed with people.

Temporary stalls were set up everywhere. The surviving people had whatever they had left, and they brought them here to sell for a pittance, either to exchange for some Song coins or some food.

Some of these were even from wealthy families, who had brought out their family heirlooms, just waiting for you to have a discerning eye to discover them from this pile of discarded goods.

Besides these transactions, some half-closed doors were set up, with burly men standing guard outside the sheds covered by reed mats, greeting the passing Song soldiers with smiles on their faces.

The great chaos in Yan had just ended, and there were still many people. If you survive one day, you need to eat; if you survive two days, you need to wear clothes.

With several mouths to feed at home, the daughter stepped out to start this business, specifically catering to these soldiers who spoke with various Shaanxi accents.

How many once-noble families' daughters and precious children reside behind these half-open doors remains unknown.

Having learned from the previous lesson, this time at least military discipline was strictly enforced.

When the Song Dynasty reclaimed this magnificent city that had been lost for hundreds of years, this was the scene before them: the Song army lacked the generosity of recovering lost territory, and the people of Yan lacked the excitement of returning to China.

In short, they have absolutely no sense of honor.

These markets have been packed with Song soldiers wearing felt hats from Fanyang these past few days, mostly from the Victorious Army, but also some from Guo Yaoshi's Ever-Victorious Army.

After many twists and turns, the battle was finally over. At this time, the soldiers were given a few days off to take turns going out for a break.

Otherwise, if so many people gather together and cannot release their emotions, it is easy for an explosion to occur.

As long as these living fathers stop killing and arson, stop forcing sales, and stop causing trouble, and return to camp on time, everything will be fine.

The victorious army was even more relaxed. They were all from various routes in Shaanxi. They had followed Commander Xuan on the Long March and fought in battles for several years, which was truly remarkable.

A general should be more lenient. These days, even the morning roll call has become lax. Anyway, they are thousands of miles away from home. Do you think these Shaanxi men can escape?

As for security, the enemies in Yan have been wiped out, and Yelü Dashi and Xiao Gan have both been driven away.

With the Jurchens hunting down Yelü Yanxi, what else could possibly happen in Yanjing?
The market was packed with people, and the air was filled with a mix of Shaanxi and Yan dialects.

The aroma of food wafted everywhere, and the laughter of Song soldiers filled the air.

In this market, a young man carrying a Fanyang hat walked along the road.

He wore a right-fastening cloth jacket, made of coarse cloth with large holes. His hair was tied up on top of his head with a wooden hairpin, and his face was covered in dirt.

The young man couldn't help but swallow hard as he smelled the aroma of food.

My stomach, which hadn't eaten all day, started growling uncontrollably.

He looked at the Song soldiers, stepped forward and asked, "I heard that soldiers are being recruited here. May I ask where you all registered?"

The Song soldiers, seeing his extremely imposing appearance, asked, "Have you ever been a soldier?"

"Two years ago, Staff Officer Liu recruited 'brave warriors' in Zhengding Prefecture to defend against the Liao. I volunteered and, after selection, became a captain. Later, my father died, and I rushed back to my hometown to observe mourning. I just came out this year."

This year, Hebei was hit by torrential rains. He was observing mourning at home, struggling to make ends meet, and his wife constantly complained, which the young man found unbearable. In order to earn a living, he originally planned to go to Pingding Army in Hedong Road to join the army.

Hearing that Yanshan Prefecture was newly established and was recruiting soldiers, I changed my route and came here to try my luck.

Several Song soldiers looked him up and down; this man was indeed too strong, a born warrior.

Although it is the local militia of Yanshan Prefecture that is recruiting soldiers, and they are not recruiting for their own troops for the time being, this person is not someone to be missed.

Can you ride a horse?

"meeting!"

"Haha, perfect! We'll get under Grand Commandant Wang's command. He's a great admirer of talent, and he might just give you a minor post as soon as he sees you!"

The young man clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you!"

"What is your name?"

"Yue Fei".

(End of this chapter)